Nevertheless,

nine and a half episodes of edging

i just finished the drama and so my hot take on it is that while the drama seemed very promising and it captivated me at first due to its quite progressive approach to relationships (which was kinda refreshing ngl), after 5/6 episodes it got boring assssss and too tiresome watch. all the main characters kept on doing is being angsty af, yearning, edging, and having like 0 communication skills which lead to even more angst. and afterwards the main plot of the drama got resolved within like last 10 minutes so after all that happened between the main characters it felt unnatural and rushed. ill give this show points tho for quite good lesbian representation and realistic portrayal of youths. then, in my impression it was the side characters such as yunsol, jiwan, bitna, and gyuhyun that hard carried the show. although they were side characters their plots were more enjoyable to me, because these characters at least had CHARACTER. nabis and jaeeons personalities, on the other hand, were super bland and they had like 0 chemistry.

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artsyy

the art student vibes was sooooo good, its a little cliche but actually it was fine. because there aren't many dramas like this one. andd i love han so hee sm. and song kang was a diffrent kind of thing in this drama. my favs are ofc oh bitna, yoon sol, seo jiwan and gyuhyun. i was sooo in love with bitna while i was watching it (im still tbh). The cliché side of the drama is of course Nabi and It was jaeeon's strange love but still sweet. But the most ridiculous thing to me was their encounter, the strange name that Nabi's family gave her, the guy's butterfly tattoo and the guy's strange behaviours.

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Something I have already seen, extraordinarily done

Story
-Bit-na and Kyu Hyun: best friends to lovers. The characters were funny, pleasant and sensitive. Great side couple, healty relationship (needed if you think about the main couple).
-Lesbo couple <33: best friends to lovers again. I have rarely seen a lesbian couple so I was happy, glad. They were so cute and sweet and emotional and Lee Ho Jung is so cool, I find her amazing!
-The main couple: toxic. All of you will agree with me saying that at least at the beginning the relationship was toxic. Jea-eon didn't want a serious relationship with Nabi until episode 7/8 I think. On the contrary, there was the other guy. He was cute, nice. In my opinion, Na-bi should have acted differently: you can't treat a guy in a special way when you are clearly in love with someone else!

Acting
All of the actors did a marvelous job: I could feel their emotions and passion. let's have some examples:
- The kiss between Bit-na and Kyu Hyun was so good! I wa clear that they wanted that kiss although she was drunk. 
- Sol and Seo's confession was also full of emotions. Both of them didn't want to lose the other.
- In all their scenes there was a strong connection between Na-bi and Jea-eon. When Na-bi was with Do Hyuk I wasn't the same.

Music
The music was good, I enjoyed all the songs and downloaded two: Like a butterfly and Fall in love. The same goes for the production part. Good editing and positions of the cameras. The director ad the production team did a great job.

Rewatch
I watched the entire show again a second and a third time. Separately some favourite scenes.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama 'Nevertheless,' gives a new perspective to college dramas.

The drama has a pretty original story, bold and original, about a toxic relationship that is acknowledged by the lead and yet she can't stop it. It has a realistic aspect to it and a more mature mood. However, the ending was pretty cliche and ruined what the drama had built. The personalities of the main characters, especially the male lead, were also a bit vague and they should have been portrayed better. However, the love triangle was interesting and the side characters were pretty entertaining and they added a lot to the story, with a unique flavor and strong stories.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable and the atmosphere that the drama created, along with the OST, quite beautiful.

So, overall, 7 out of 10.

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Needed character depth

It was blatantly obvious alright about what the drama was going to be about from the title. It didn't romanticise "toxic relationships" as some would say (I think people need to stop throwing the word "romanticise"around ) It relayed how people who find themselves in relationships like this think and analyse things. The show didn't hide the fact that that was the direction it was going to ,hence the title . I love slice of life dramas but this one lacked character depth, because that's what I was looking forward too. I understood the characters' mindsets but I was just annoyed there wasn't enough sensibility in the writing of their characters. One of the dramas I felt I wasted my time with,tbh.

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Kinda good, kinda bad

This k-drama is a rollercoaster of emotions and quality of plot.

The first ep was probably the worst in my opinion. The way they meet, the fact that they "fall in love at first sight", the way they become obsessed with each other??? That whole part was very strange, a bit like the typical cliché romance that a lot of k-dramas like to focus on. Their relationship doesn't get any better though, with them always going back and forth between liking and hating, wanting to be together and wanting to be alone, just a mess in general.

I see a lot of people hating on the ending, and I'd have to agree. The whole story was her realizing that he's not good for her and that she's happier when she's not thinking about him, but at the end she just jumps into his arms like nothing happened. Of course I was happy seeing them together, but I would have prefered if there was more learning/apologizing/realizing their feeling before they got together.

Yes, the story is very unrealistic and their relationship is very toxic, but I think there are some positives about this drama:
•The side couples: The fact that they included a queer couple makes me so happy. And the way they portraid them not wanting to ruin their friendship but at the same time wanting to express their feeling toward each other was so beautiful. 10/10 for that

•The cinematography: There were some scenes that were so beautifully shot that it made me want to eep watching. Also the fact that they never showed the ex-boyfriend / ex-girlfriend full frontal face and only shots of parts of their faces was genious, and such a small detail that I think maked a huge difference

•The acting: As bad as the story can be, the actors portraied it so well. It was almost lie you were living the story with them besides them

•SOME parts of their relationship: yes, it was toxic. yes, it was messy. But there were some parts of their story that made me root for them. The more gentle, intimate scenes between them were the refreshing parts of the plot.

Do I recommend? If you like cliché romance, yes. If you hate clichés, don't bother watching it

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A realistic toxic love story

I don’t understand the hate towards this drama,from the synopsis you should have understood that Park jae eon is literally a red flag guy and this is how he would act .if you did not like this drama then it is evident that you guys have never been in a relationship in your early 20s because this is how people act when they are in a toxic relationship .not everybody can be a green flag ,not everybody is born a green flag. People grow through complex relationship and that is exactly what happened here. Of course nabi was stupid to get into a relationship that clearly shows that it is not good for her but what would you have done differently, she liked him so much.She was attracted to him. The whole point of this drama is not to glorify toxicity or encourage these kind of relationship it just shows what a realistic love/relationship would be in the early 20s. Why did you guys watch this drama because ,this gives you is exactly what you signed for. it clearly says that the male lead is not an emotional person and he does not want to relationship then that is exactly how he would act and Nabi who have come out of a cheating relationship. She meets a guy in her age and that guy is extremely charming and attractive, and she has a chance with him. Anybody would have taken the shot to see how it goes or to build a relationship.

And realistically even though Nabi entered into this relationship,At the end of the drama, she breaks up with him, saying that he is not a good guy and that what he did was wrong .the webtoon ends in a different note .This drama doesnt portray that you can go and fix a guy like that or you can expect a Playboy to change into a green flag. This shows how a relationship between two people of this life experience would be.

I love love love love love the OST of this drama. It is one of the best OSTs ever

The direction of this drama was also great. The dream scene portrayal was amazing. I thoroughly loved it. There were scenes where the male lead was so sweet and kind, which clearly showed why Nabi chose to get into a relationship with him and that was also amazing.

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I don't get the reason why people hate this

I saw some reviews and I must say that based on my expectations it was better than I thought. Not only it got a message but it inspired me. I've always been into art and stuff like that but I never got the motivation to for example draw. But as soon as I started watching it came through me. I started drawing people in school or finishing my old drawings. But let's not talk about my current hobby. This k-drama felt short and I liked it, there was a love triangle that I wanted for some reason. I feel like this drama is rewatchable but maybe it's just because I finished it like half an hour ago and I am thinking about it a lot. This drama is a good option for taking a break from detective or crime dramas because it's pure I would say. Anyway, I am going to prepare for school just to zone out every second so have a good day.

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I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one honestly.
At times, I loved the main character and the beginning back story of her got me hooked, but it didn't really have much of a payoff in the long run. I feel like the story goes no-where and just staggers, all while the characters do all the wrong things.
The actors that they chose to play them were okay at times, I did enjoy the narration of the main character a lot to give a more inside look of what her thoughts were. It helps make it feel more relatable like I'm also experiencing those emotions and feelings with her. The guy was okay, he's definitely good looking but I feel like they gave him no back story at all and just used him for the romantic part of the story.
As always, I loved the side characters and the way they were all styled. Bit-na's style was so eccentric and different than what I was used to seeing in the k-dramas that I've watched and it was really nice. Sol's story I wish got more screen-time and looking into because I love having the LGBTQ+ representation and story. I feel like a lot of people can relate to them on that and I just wanted more.
Overall, I feel like I wouldn't re-watch at all. I loved the art school setting and the potential, but the payoff was eh. I wanted to like it more, but it just dropped off at some point and became super predictable.

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Disappointing Romance

"Nevertheless" is a drama that, unfortunately, did not meet my expectations. Although the plot seemed promising, the execution was disappointing.

CONS

1. Irritating main characters:
Both the main male and female leads were hard to like. Their decisions and behavior were often illogical and frustrating, making it difficult to connect with them.

2. Disliked love triangle:
This trope frequently appears in dramas and did not appeal to me here. Instead of adding excitement, it only annoyed me.

3. Better secondary main character:
The secondary male lead was much more interesting and well-written, which unfortunately made the main lead pale in comparison.

4. Lack of dynamism:
Despite an interesting concept, the plot was drawn out and at times really boring. I missed the tension and surprising plot twists.

5. Unfavorable choice of actors:
I personally don't favor the actors playing the main roles, which made it even harder for me to engage with the drama and the story.

PROS

1.Relationships between supporting characters:
This was the only aspect that truly caught my attention. Particularly, the relationship between Bit Na and Kyu Hyun was interesting and worth watching. I love them!

2. Concept of the plot:
The idea behind the plot was good, but unfortunately, the execution did not live up to expectations.

3. Artistic elements:
The setting and artistic elements, including scenes involving sculpture and art, were visually pleasing and added a unique touch to the drama.

Do I recommend it?

Only if someone can understand the main female lead and her decisions, because otherwise, her behavior and foolishness might be irritating. I also recommend it if someone likes the actors featured in this drama. For me, "Nevertheless" was unfortunately very boring and exhausting to watch. If different actors were cast and the love triangle was removed, I probably would have enjoyed it much more.

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A K-Drama Examining Unhealthy Relationships and Going against the Grain?

There's something to be said about a series that seems to be angling to be a critique of what is all too common in K-Dramas, or the romantic genre period. Rewarding the asshole, and sweeping their behavior under the rug, because that's what you do or expect.

"Nevertheless" is a fairly frustrating series to watch. The indecisiveness of the lead, and the manipulation of the love interest, made me want to throw objects at my television and computer screen. It was enough that I stopped watching the series in 2021 or so before deciding to resume in 2023.

In one instance, the writing appears self-aware enough not to play into the common cliches of K-Dramas, while at the same time playing right into them. By that I mean, Na-Bi's indecisiveness, or emotional vulnerability, and allowing herself to be strung along by Jae-Eon, while at the same time knowing that none of what's going on between them is sincere in the least (but she wants it to be real).

With Jae-Eon, it's clear that the script wants to play heavily into the "sympathy for the devil" angle with his character. That his reasons for being flighty, mean-spirited, and typically dishonest with the women he's with, is some act of self-protection. But it's hard to feel any empathy for his character when so much of what comes out of his mouth is dishonest or a half-truth. As the series progresses, his poessiveness and minimization of Na-Bi's feelings, and her relationships with other people (other men, really) don't do anything but want me to see her far, far away from him.

The supporting cast all appear to be sounding boards for Na-Bi's conscious and critical thinking skills that she's not using. They all see her going down a real self-destructive path by remaining with Jae-Eon, but they can only tell her how they feel about it, and ask her, "Do you really think this person is being honest with you?" And of course, Na-Bi remains indecisive and chooses not to listen to her instincts, even as Jae-Eon begins to mirror her ex-boyfriend (who made a sculpture of her in a sex position, for public viewing, without her consent) more and more.

The end of the show really seems to bring all the emotional turmoil together in the ninth and tenth episodes, where, after being emotionally yanked around by Jae-Eon, Na-Bi finally snaps and lays down the law. She won't allow this dude to manipulate her anymore, even if he decides to be honest and tell her that he has genuine feelings for her. And, for me, that would've been enough to give this series high markings, a 10/10. A K-Drama that doesn't feed into the bad feedback loop of "asshole gets the girl".

But, the show dismantles itself by pairing Na-Bi and Jae-Eon together in the end. And all because of a plot thread that would make it seem like their relationship is the stuff of "Star-crossed lovers". The show even appears to know that it's absolutely bonkers for Na-Bi to be with Jae-Eon. A line by the way of "I'll worry about that later" only seems to exist to dismiss arguments.

Overall, despite some stellar performances, the writing lets down what might've been a pretty solid drama. It's fairly reflective of the idea that something in the culture of South Korea really doesn't want to hold assholes like Jae-Eon accountable, because, not unlike the United States, so many of those types are the ones that get idolized as the ideal person.

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